Please do not phone the school. Instead check the school website home page, school twitter account, local radio and you phone for text messages.

The following procedures will be used should the school have to close because of severe weather or for an emergency. Please do not telephone the school as if the school is closed there will be no-one to take your call. If we are open we need to ensure lines are kept free to receive updates from staff if they experience difficulty with their journey.

In the event that the weather is severe and you suspect that school is closed, please look on the school website http://easttilburyprimary.thurrock.sch.uk as this will be continually updated.

Please check your mobile phone as we will use our texting service to send a text informing you that the school is closed once a decision has been made; we will endeavour to make this decision as early as possible.

If you have not received a text message, seen a message on the school or radio websites, or heard on the radio that school is closed then children should attend school as normal. ​Please ensure that your contact details are up to date and that any changes to your telephone number are reported to the school office to ensure we are able to provide you with the school information.

I am the generation who should know; I grew up around computers and assumed that I knew what is worth knowing. As a teen I saw PC’s give way to laptops and then the rise of tablets. I watched dial-up, enjoyed broadband and got hooked on mobile data. I cringe at the indelible family email for facebook is my scene. Online shopping and banking are a birth right. However, in the digital world that children inhabit, I am behind the times.

This week I joined an e-safety training session with teachers, parents and members of the police. Despite a successful Safer Internet Day at school, I came away realising that the digital world our children inhabit is far removed from what we imagine to be. The stranger danger of our time is not candies at a street corner. It is the digital creep with in app friendships chatting, flattering, infiltration and manipulation happening right in our living rooms.

Assuming immunity, or blaming children, is at best naïve. Yesterday’s survey of a key stage 1 class at our school revealed the majority are familiar with game that has been flagged for being high risk. As a school we have followed this up however there are multitudes of apps we could list with similar warnings. Nonetheless, all too soon there will be new apps with new new dangers. Perhaps, we can no longer pretend to have all the answers, only routes by which to search for them. Googling an app or game with the word “risks” is a useful place to begin.

Like the Uncle Ben's advert, your children will try to imitate the behaviours they see around them. They will pick up on how their friends and family members interact with apps, devices, digital content and others. This week has begun a conversation in school about how to do this in a positive and safe way. However, it is a conversation that is far from conclusion. Do make time to discuss e-safety at home this half term break. We will look for opportunities to do so next half term too.

For further advice on how to begin an e-safety conversation take a look at the NSPCC website:www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-your-child-staying-safe-online

Before you go, do enjoy, our final daily teacher podcast by Miss Caton and Mrs Stevens!

L Coldwells: Using digital media on social media

​Internet Safety Day Pt5

What would you do if you found out that your child was getting unwanted attention online? In all likelihood our parental instinct would be to protect a child by insulating them: delete the accounts, remove the app or take the device away. However, this might be counter-productive.

Every generation has things that children or teenagers aren’t allowed. This did not necessarily stop us from having them; what we learnt about was keeping secrets. As I recall, a school friend of mine hid his Nokia 3310 from his mum for years. However, it is a different world now with different consequences. Past messages, photos and videos are returning to haunt famous people, in the digital age an embarrassing post can be copied and never truly be deleted.

Explaining and managing risks, in an accessible way, to a child may even prevent a problem arising. However, if one does, taking away a favourite app, game or device is according guilt and blame to a child who is likely to be the victim of a situation. Sure, doing so may fix the first problem but will it fix the next? Resolving a situation may require helping a child figure out what a measured solution should be.

Fostering an open dialogue means sometimes masking our adult anxieties and addressing each situation in a way that leaves the door open for children to feel comfortable for when the next problem arises.

As you mull these e-safety thoughts over, you are allowed to enjoy today’s e-safety podcast!

​Yesterday’s #SID2018 tweet was estimated to reach over 9 million people online. With Safer Internet Day being observed in over a hundred countries, the positive educational message has been shared far and wide in the offline world too. In the UK over 1700 registered supporters and organisations ranged from celebrities, various industries and sports clubs through to over 800 participating schools. We were pleased to be included in the list.

In school the conversations about e-safety will continue. Through the rest of this week there are further assemblies, lessons and lunch time activities planned to engage children of all ages. We have found that social media use continues to be a hot topic. Recent research shows one in five 8 to 11 year olds and seven in ten 12 to 15 year olds have a social media profile.

Obviously, compliance to the social media age requirement depends upon individual free will. However, thirteen years old is the lowest age at which American federal law allows organisations to collect a person’s personal information. Therefore, stating that you are thirteen or older allows social media companies to store or sell your personal information. Last year a London law firm simplified Instagram’s lengthy terms and conditions to a single sheet, you can read our highlighted version here.

New social media sites spring up regularly and the Children’s Commission acknowledge that an appropriately managed social media account can be a positive experience for many children. However, it is important that children know how to keep safe with what they share and understand how to seek guidance to manage their online friendships.

On the subject of keeping safe, click here to listen to today's teacher podcast by Miss Gibbons.

Recently our school Computing Curriculum Team set up a new corridor display. The children were invited to contribute suggestions and ideas about BugClub, Mathletics and e-safety. Many of the children were keen to share how their parents help keep them safe at home. If you haven't discussed this at home in a while, do take the opportunity.

We all want a safer internet for children to enjoy and learn. Last year Safer Internet Day 2017 reached an estimated 3 million school children. A follow up survey found the majority of children spoke to their families about staying safe online, while 79% felt more confident about what to do about any worries online. As a result, 1 in 4 young people said they had spoken up about something that had been worrying them.

#SID2018 is set to be the biggest campaign yet and will hopefully make a real difference to the digital lives of children in the UK. We are excited to be supporting this through lessons, assemblies and other special activities across our school.

Today's teacher podcast, about screen time, is brought to you by Mr Powell and a special guest!

Welcome to the first of our daily e-safety blogs for Safer Internet Day 2018.

One of our school values, Solidarity, means we try to support each other. Through the next few days teachers from across the school will be sharing their experiences with technology in an honest way through a podcast.

To get us started, Mr. Palser and Mr Rumble provide their enlightened insight into the world of mobile communications. Enjoy!
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As we have e-safety conversations in school this week, take a look at the resources available through www.saferinternet.org.uk and join in the conversation at home too.

The stories we hear begin to sound familiar: a well-intentioned digital Christmas gift they refuse to put down, familiarity with films classified for those much older, the new app that everyone seems to have but requires you to be 13.

Relax, we are not here to judge. It is important that children feel they can have honest conversations with people they trust about things they see and do online.

E-Safety is a frequent theme in our Computing lessons. However, next week we will also be observing Safer Internet Day (#SID2018).

We are using this opportunity to try something new: a daily blog and teacher’s podcast. The conversation will continue in lessons and assemblies. We hope these conversations continue in the playground and as children return home too.